Producer claims Jackson's songs have been improperly re-edited to rob him of royalties and production fees

PA

Producer Quincy Jones is suing the estate of Michael Jackson over alleged unpaid royalties and production fees.

Jones is seeking at least $10 million (£6.2 million) from Jackson’s estate and Sony Music Entertainment,the Associated Press reports.

Jones – who worked with Jackson on the classic albums ‘Off The Wall’, ‘Thriller’ and ‘Bad’ – claims songs used in the 2009 documentary film ‘This Is It’ and two Cirque du Soleil shows based on Jackson’s music have been improperly re-edited to rob him of royalties and production fees. Jones also alleges he should have been given a producer’s credit on the music in ‘This Is It’.

According to the lawsuit, Jones’s original producer’s contracts with Jackson stipulate that he should be given first opportunity to re-edit or alter the songs, partly to protect his reputation. The songs at the heart of the lawsuit include many of Jackson’s biggest hits such as ‘Billie Jean’, ‘Thriller’, ‘Beat It’ and ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’.

In a statement Jackson’s estate said they were saddened by the lawsuit and denied any wrongdoing, insisting: “To the best of its knowledge, Mr Jones has been appropriately compensated over approximately 35 years for his work with Michael.”

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